Do your research. My experience at this theater was a lot of positives from staff, a lot of negatives from contracted creatives. Directors were incredibly unprofessional, lacked any knowledge, and seem to think: "I was abused getting into this business 30 years ago, so now I have to abuse you." That being said, the staff seem to be generally good and did their best to mitigate the damage being done by these directors. Music directors of both shows (Steven Dahlke, Scott Michaelson) were incredibly kind, gifted artists who were the most effective creatives. PROS: -CST provided many amenities to actors: theme park passes, gym membership, free pizza coupons, fully catered cast opening and closing parties with free drink tickets, merch discounts and comp policies -beautiful region, consistently 80+ degrees with gorgeous lake a 3 minute walk from cast housing w/ rentals from paddleboard to sailboat -on the business side, staff seem to care a lot about what happens on and offstage and try to right things that go wrong -ensemble of fun, talented actors from all over the country made for a good group to create with -very clean, charming downtown area with good food options ~10 minutes from cast housing CONS: -Anastasia Director/Choreographer* -Hello, Dolly! Choreographer* -Idaho is a red state -cast housing is incredibly minimal college dorm which they are trying to improve, we were two to a room, with a hot plate, mini fridge, and microwave -schedule is incredibly difficult if doing multiple shows, I would weigh this in considering returning to this company -lack of understudies led to cancelled shows, performing with 5-6 cast out, waves of sickness spreading through cast *ANASTASIA- "Don't be mad at me for how bad conditions are, be mad at yourself for taking the contract. Now in the future you know if a company offers a contract like this, don't take it." Works for a company on Equity Do Not Work List. That's all you have to know. Made asst choreographer choreograph most everything in the show, and made our featured ballerina choreograph herself in the ballet sequence. She frequently steamrolled breaks and tried to convince less experienced actors that it was "just the job." It is 2025 and there's no space for inhumane creatives who disguise their cruelty as 'excellence'. I would not work with this individual again in any capacity. *HELLO, DOLLY! - Choreographer was catty and mean most of the process. He actively pulled all of 'his' choreography from the Bernadette bootleg on an iPad in front of us so at least it was good-ish. This method of teaching led to 8 hour all calls of people waiting for him to figure out the bway choreo. Would get upset at actors for sitting when not being used, or marking through at any point in the process. Generally unconcerned about safety and his unsafe choreo led to an actor bleeding through multiple layers of costume, for which we had to hold during a dress rehearsal. I would not work with this individual again in any capacity. I would say there is potential to have a great time at this theater because the staff really do care, I just hope they don't continue to hire directors who work below a professional standard.

Had a great time last season working with lots of professional actors from around the country and a director that works around the world. When we took breaks, I went swimming with several other actors (right across the street), and on a day off, I went with a group to a local theme park that was a sponsor of the theatre, and we got in for free! I had a great experience and am looking forward to next season. Kinda surprised by the other reviews. Not my experience at all!

Horrible theatre to work for you will hate your time here! This theatre will not get you anywhere and has no connections to give you.

Trust your peers folks. This “company” is a scam. You can expect racism, bigotry and mistreatment. 10/10 NYC actors do not recommend.

Up and coming regional theatre. Very friendly, supportive, and respectful staff. Directors are top notch and show quality is high. Great location to get "discovered." Some processes still need refinement, and as many have said already, pay is fairly low. Location is beautiful, lots to do on the rare off day. Overall, a positive experience. Very surprised by some of the negative reviews here. Not my experience at all. (edited)

DO NOT WORK HERE!!!!!! From the about page on the company website, “ Coeur d'Alene Summer Theatre is a nationally ranked, award-winning, regional professional musical theatre often deemed "Better than Broadway." We've been sharing the joy of professional musical theatre since 1967.” This passage should tell you everything you need to know about this dump. Who “deems it better than Broadway”? The toothless meth head locals? Who “nationally ranked it”? Gotta love when your source is “trust me bro”. https://cstidaho.com/ Racist, sexist and bigoted creative team. This isn’t a place you want to spend a summer if you are from a city. Run don’t walk away from this dump.

Worked with Coeur D’Alene Summer Theatre for two seasons. 10/10 would work with them again. Professional, courteous work environment with a focus on quality. As a minority, I felt welcomed by everyone in the company.

Two years performing with this company. They clearly prioritize growth and quality over ego and appearances, something remarkable in a small (beautiful) resort town. I appreciate their attention to giving locals opportunities to hone their craft alongside industry professionals — truly spanning a range of experience, from young performers’ first professional experiences, to college students filling out their summer stock resume, to touring professionals, to internationally recognized directors and talent. This is what summer stock should look like — great theatre opportunities for all. Staff is kind, respectful, and attentive to maintaining a pleasant atmosphere. Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for professional work.

Several instances of homophobia and racism throughout the experience. They hire a mix of out of town and local performers. A few of the locals are very vocal about their political and moral views- often causing rifts in the cast. They hire out of town professional directors for their productions as well. One of the directors blatantly said the Nword during a rehearsal in front of several cast mates. Yes, you read that correctly. Never apologized, and gaslit the actors who brought the issue up. Now that same director is getting heat for casting a tour with only 2 people of color in the entire company of performers. The “upper artistic management” turns a blind eye to many issues including the one just mentioned. A few other instances of racism as well. For the amount of their annual budget, they should be paying their actors and performers more. (The budget is in the millions)All of that being said, beautiful location, all out of town performers were very professional and more than kind. Wouldn’t return. Not worth the pay or the bigotry. (edited)

Easily up there with my favorite theatrical experiences of all time. Some of the most professional actors and creatives I have ever worked with. I truly felt like I was cared for and that if I needed something, they were happy to help. Like any summer stock, pay isn't fantastic, but they pay for travel and housing, so for a solid resume credit in a beautiful location, definitely worth it. Would certainly go back.